Something Rhetorical
by periberi
Summary: For truth, for justice, for nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako; set after The Kinky Music Party; COMPLETE
1. In Which Shuuya is Happy to be Alive

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, for justice, for nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Shuuya Nanahara woke up at 3:47: 43 am, JST.

He was very much _happy_ to be alive.

**01.**

"Don't you think Shuuya looked a little off today?"

"Uh huh."

"Takako!"

"What?" came the very bored reply, followed by a yawn. Hiroki Sugimura slung his bag on his shoulde once again as he and best friend, Chigusa Takako, walked towards the school gates.

Said person named Shuuya Nanahara indeed looked a little off as he came running towards the pair, hair disheveled and uniform in an outstanding mess. Even without fully paying attention, Takako saw the dark circles under his eyes but found them nothing worth of her brain cells. It was just an _ordinary_ day.

(Except for the foreboding feeling of dread and betrayal, mixed with odd excitement which she tried to shrug off casually as she spotted a familiar, morning-nice looking man with a hoop earring a few distances away…)

As Shuuya came closer, Hiroki noticed his sudden halt followed by a large bulging of eyes; then definitely, the loudest scream he ever heard since the attack of the Arashi fangirls.

"!"

"Good morning to you too, Nanahara," said Takako in a much deadpanned expression.

"You! Youu—YOUU!" Shuuya started, and stopped when he felt two strong arms, feeling like it very much belonged to a martial artist, gripped his shoulders to steady him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Shuu? Too damn early to tear our ears away, don't you think?" Hiroki said, patting his shaking friend.

Shuuya looked displeasingly, mockingly and then scared shit at Takako, making the girl arch an eyebrow as a response. Brought by adrenaline rush, fear and too much coffee, Shuuya held tight to one of Hiroki's hands and ran for his life, tagging the poor martial artist behind him who was wailing for making him trip altogether and look stupid while they were at it.

Takako Chigusa was left behind, confusion still all over her face. More confused looks darted her way, followed by a couple of _oooh_—_aaaah's and oooh's_ but the girl just shrugged.

"Keep the panties intact, they're still definitely male," and as an afterthought she muttered, "…the last time I checked."

"Pretty sure they're checking _**me**_ out, babe."

That _bedroom_ voice, with words running through a smirk that invented the word swoon, could not be mistaken. Takako turned around; with a fresh, cleanly shaven, nicely trimmed, sexy standing entrance, Shinji Mimura greeted her with a smile.

**02.**

"Gods, Shuu, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Shuuya was still catching his breath at his seat when he leaned in to Hiroki. Looking around to check, (bets were if Takako was already around), he told him in a whisper; "I had a bad dream."

Hiroki snorted.

"Listen to me man, this dream—holy fuck, I dreamt of Mim fucking a girl, man," said Shuuya in exasperation, still catching his breath.

At that, Hiroki looked worried then resigned with a bored look. "Shuu."

"What?"

"Do you _like_…Mim, or something?"

"Fuck no!" Shuuya attested, slamming his hands on Hiroki's desk in to which the latter winced. In his defense, Freudian subconscious references or not, Shuuya dreaming of his best friend and a girl doing what—Mim's normal roundabout of activities—was not really that confusing nor was it a big deal. He wondered what Shuuya's brain had been hitting on; Mim doing a girl either in dreamland or reality was so yesterday and therefore definitely news archives material.

Hiroki sighed. That was Shuuya's cue to continue, "Man, the girl man, _listen_…girl was freaking Takako Chigusa!!"

If Hiroki had been uninterested a few seconds ago, to say that his neck craned a 360 degree to look at Shuuya would be an understatement. After tapping his nose repeatedly Shuuya felt afraid it would suddenly break, Hiroki was only able to blurt out a horrified, "WHAT?!"

"Tell you man, 'was so scared…Jesus," Shuuya said, raking his hands on his already disheveled hair.

Hiroki tapped his nose again, inhaled and asked, "This got to do with the little stunt at the fair?" (1)

"Hell if I know!" he exhaled, "…shit, I was never this _happy_ to be alive. Fucking nightmare, Sugi. Only thing that went through my mind was Chigusa getting in _down, hot and heavy_ and she was probably _eating_ him whole…"

Hiroki's eyes snapped shut and open simultaneously as he bricked his friend with his thick Physics _boo_—tome.

"Sorry man…can't get it out of my head, you know?" Shuuya leaned in, "…screwed in my dreams and screwed me bad while they were at it, holy fuck," said Shuuya, holding on to Hiroki's strong arms as if he could get support from the gravity of it all.

Hiroki was feeling numb from Shuuya's grip on his arm, and was about to reply when Takako came to view right at the classroom door. He noted that there wasn't—_oh come on, really_—anything extraordinary. Shuuya then followed his gaze and was reminded of his dream. He attempted to look away but not before catching his best friend, Shinji Mimura, in view behind Takako—and this all in slow motion, _catch this, catch this, catch this_;

Shinji's hand very very very subtly (and sneakily) touching Takako's lower back as he passed, his hands straying until it reached somewhere her side, his hand finally drifting away, Takako's failed attempt at indifference (but only the ones closely watching could catch it, and without blinking), Shinji's malicious lopsided grin, Takako's subtle eyebrow arch (oh there was it again) , the one millisecond meeting of their eyes and the tension at the classroom door finally breaking free in one early morning of April, 8: 25: 16 am, JST.

Hiroki and Shuuya looked at each other, and looked at the classroom door again, the little interesting exchange replaying in both their minds.

In Shuuya's mind, thoughts were more oriented towards on how amazing Shinji knew his way on girls—even girls like Takako Chigusa. Being the sole (and pretentiously not looking) witness to that equally interesting hug at the sale last fair, he suddenly found himself drawn to the possibility of them hooking up. Mimura's untainted record in wooing girls faster than he can shoot balls and Takako's clinical image of being off-limits-off-market-single-but-not-available-except-to-Hiroki-Sugimura—he would have bet all his money it would not happen.

However, something in the air changed, and definitely not due to global warming or climate change. Kudos to them _**if**_ they had been working it outside fangirls' range or pestering-of-friends zone; the only clue left on the trail was that two weeks after Mim whored a hug, they were talking like they had been doing that forever.

In Hiroki's mind, there was only one thing going through his head: Takako is growing up. Then another thought—Mim was probably hitting on her for real? He did ask him before (if they were dating), yes, but not in this universe and lifetime did he thought of Mimura actually pursuing his best friend. Hell, never in his mind he thought that Takako—even just once—would give Shinji a piece of her attention, if that was what the little exchange all about. Then another thought—did he like, like, Takako or was he just merely looking out for her in this sudden worry? Then another thought—oh, Kayoko, looking like a fresh morning flower. Lastly, he thought—he lost his Math for a while there because those were actually five (plus this, makes six) thoughts that he thought and what the hell was happening in his mind—for a total of whooping seven thoughts.

Shuuya and Hiroki looked at each other again, both of them speaking at the same time;

"Ass-grab."

"Butt-crack pinch."

"Ass grab man, I said it first."

"You're a syllable ahead, dickhead."

Hiroki sighed, probably in an effort to comfort himself, apparently disturbed. "It _wasn't_ that low."

Shuuya put his hand on his forehead, and said, "Mim would have died if he had gone further."

In response, Hiroki muttered absent-mindedly, "He wouldn't, if Taka was totally letting him..."

As if they hadn't had enough with each other, they looked at each other again and an imaginary light bulb flashed above their heads.

"Takako was _totally_ letting him…"

Hino-sensei arrived, signaling the start of the class—_textbooks on the desk, page 246_—but both of Hiroki Sugimura and Shuuya Nanahara's minds were boggled not by the 'coefficient of friction on the wall' but something along the lines of friction between Shinji Mimura and Takako Chigusa that probably involved getting it down, hot and heavy, and yes, in a wall.

**Are they or are they not?**

Kant's categorical imperative or not, moral dilemma or not, the seeking for the truth was began.

**TBC**

**A/N: **Dedications, dedications to the lovely i**mjuzakyd, jenizaki, Hickoryflower, Myarah** and **SkyLilies** (you are like my BR fandom friends and I love you all forever). Everyone else who is reading—this is for you too. Review and…well, you get a shoutout next chapter?

(1) in reference to The Kinky Music Party (oh I see what I did tharr, shameless plugging)

Also, I planned this to be a three-shot, but I've written as far as Chapter 3 and hey, it's far from being finished. I might be finishing at five? Who knows? Review and show me love.

Another note, after this story, I might not write for a while. You should be way getting too used to me. But I still love you all.


	2. And So Hiroki is Too

**CHAPTER 2**

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, for justice, for nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Hiroki Sugimura woke up at 2:46:24 am, JST.

He was very much _happy_ to be alive. His dreams were nothing sort of what Shuuya had.

On second thought…_what a shame really_.

**01.**

The incessant ticky-tick-tack on her phone was getting on his nerves. Hiroki Sugimura was known to be a patient man—so patient; in fact, his patience could tolerate the slow progress of the line of patient-customers in the optical shop they were currently in BUT NOT THE INCESSANT TICKY-TICK TACK OF TAKAKO CHIGUSA'S PHONE!

"Taka."

No answer.

"Taka."

"Hmm?"

"TAKAKO!"

Takako's eyes narrowed at Hiroki slightly as she flipped her phone shut. "The fuck?"

Hiroki sighed—patience, oh dear God, patience—as he took a deep breath and looked back at his best friend. He shifted on his seat.

"Your phone…it—it's shitting me," he said as he tried to grab it from her grasp.

Takako easily dodged his roaming hand and only blinked mockingly. He hated it when she would do that. It had some sort of a disarming effect. It was only to his chagrin though, that the phone beeped, and there she was again on her massacre of the poor keypad.

He looked instead at the long line of customers to distract him from the noise, and proceeded to gaze on the red scarring mark on the little paper on his hand when he resolved in his mind that the people's line would never be straight. The paper held a fierce 472 and they were just serving the 444th customer, whoever that was, so this would take him long. He also noticed that his paper was not finely cut on the edges, probably due to Takako's abrupt pulling from the machine—which eventually led his thoughts back to the incessant painstaking torture of her fingers on her phone.

Hiroki wondered why he actually felt a little off today, noticing even the slightest stress-bearers; he pondered if Shuuya indeed rubbed his off-ness on him today. He wasn't sure if he was, or he was just troubled by the idea of Shinji and Takako _almost-psuedo-dating_, or if it was the long line or damn it to hell, if it was the INCESSANT TICKY-TICK TACK OF TAKAKO CHIGUSA'S PHONE!!! Goddamnit.

The martial artist almost snapped when he asked, "Who are you talking to anyway?!"

Takako just had to look at him with the way he aired his question. She merely raised an eyebrow—fingers still magically doing their thing—and was about to reply when Hiroki cut her off.

"Swear, if that person you're talking to is usually called with three letters, with the same first and third letter, and that would be letter _M_, don't look at me like that," he half-shouted, "…swear, I am—God, I will—"

"You will what my _MOM_, Hiroki?" Takako grinned.

Hiroki stopped his tirade. He took and deep breath, shifted his head to the side and sighed, "…oh. I thought—oh well, never mind."

"You thought what?" Takako closed her phone shut, attention full on Hiroki.

"Well, I thought," said Hiroki as he raked his hand in his hair, and continuing, "…I thought…"

Hiroki trailed off as a thought crossed his mind. Takako could be totally twisting his mind; after all, there was no way he could affirm if that was her mom…or—

"Give me your phone."

"What, are you paying my bills now?"

"You could be talking to Mim!"

"So?"

As Takako realized her slip, she immediately retorted, "…and by that, I mean, you meant Mimura-the-lanky-tard-who-whored-a-hug-from-me?"

Hiroki failed to recognize her slip, fortunately to Takako, but he went on riding her fake innocence as he responded with, "Yes, that Mimura-the-lanky-tard-who-I-might-add-is-my-friend-that-whored-a-hug-from-you-who-is-my-other-friend-and-also-whored-a-make-out-session-with-you-as-well-in-the-school-parking-lot-except-that-you-are-so-not-paying-him-or-him-paying-you-or-whatever," complete with an uncharacteristic grin.

Takako kept a deadpanned expression that Hiroki almost feared his life. But he had unconsciously brought upon the topic, open for discussion, so he might as well extract some—no, scratch that—THE answer/s before his life would go to the biodegradable segregation scheme of Shiroiwa Junior High.

_For justice, truth, and nightmare free slumber, Shuuya, for truth._

Hiroki cleared his throat. He awkwardly asked, "And so while I'm on it, what's up between you and Mim?"

"…Huh?"

His best friend remained stoic, or at least pretended to look like one. Hiroki prodded and challenged her almost- silence. "I take that as a?"

A few moments passed before she answered, "Hiroki, after in here, let's get to an ear doctor okay?" Her voice totally sounded her puppy just died a minute ago.

Hiroki's prodding mood suddenly changed into a concerned one. "Eh?"

Takako did not even bother to look at him away from her phone (not again!) as she replied, "Were you saying something? Because your mouth was moving and you were looking at me but all I heard was blah blah blah." (1)

Hiroki should have known that that was Takako's way of changing a subject she did not particularly feel like talking about, and that eight years of friendship could have at least trained his senses to detect it at a mile range. Unfortunately, he might have missed that course over the eight year training because it just hit him full blast right on the face.

But he was in no mood to give up, either. Eight years of friendship told him too, that she would bend—if he would push her a little too hard (but that sounded wrong). And also, that was a big_ IF_.

"Oh come on, I think I just said, I saw you two sucking face in the school parking lot! There I said it, AGAIN!" Hiroki said, completely disgusted by his statement.

"Wrong. You said _make out session_ earlier."

Hiroki tried not to laugh but failed. "You can stop refuting your point anytime now—you, definitely, were _so_ not listening."

"Exactly the reason why I needed to go see an ear doctor because I believe I misheard."

Oh no, not this again. He whined like a little child, "Takaaaaa…"

"Me sucking face—make out session whatever, you just didn't say that, did you?"

Again, eight years of friendship would tell him that the conversation was or should be over and Takako won the round, like she always had. But the strong code of the martial artist was telling him to fight back—as this was clearly, a mind attack. It could count,_ for truth, justice and nightmare free slumber_, it could.

"I think I just did."

Hiroki was not intending it to sound like he was desperate to know (he was, actually, but there was no way he would admit it). He knew that it probably wasn't even his business; Takako could go out with whoever she liked (conscience says, are you sure?) but…then again, for truth, justice, and nightmare free slumber, he would ask to know, who cared if it sounded desperate or not.

It worked on Takako, even just for a little bit. "What gives?"

_Oh, hey Progress, nice meeting you._

"You mean…how sure do I think I am that it was you and Mim? Well," he tapped his nose and pointed at her friend's hair, "…the streaks. I'd recognize the _orange_ color anywhere."

Takako grinned at him and for a while, and Hiroki caught a glimpse of her phone screen.

_Sending message to: M—m._

Fucking angle. He immediately looked back at his companion before she would notice where he was looking.

"Hiroki," Takako slowly started, "the fact that we are in an optical shop, about to see an optician, just says that you really need to get your eyes checked."

"Takako," Hiroki replied, "the fact that we are in an optical shop, about to see an optician, just says that **I** really need to get my eyes checked. Because I was sure it was you, and I was sure it was him, and I sure would like to be proven wrong."

Takako's grin did not falter. "Well, since this line is long, opticians are way too busy, and you are pissing me off gravely, how about I check your eyes for you?"

She fully smiled.

Hiroki looked away, "And what, pop it for good measure? Phone-guy-you're-mysteriously-texting could be Kiriyama, so I'd rather not take my chances."

The cross country runner flipped her phone open again and muttered a satisfied, "Good."

Silence enveloped them but Hiroki had been thinking, _Shuuya, for truth, justice and nightmare free slumber, I shall try again…next time._

He was adamantly decisive in his resolve when Takako broke him from his contemplation, "So…just curious, what was the color of the streaks again?"

He was adamantly decisive in his resolve and he got a little sad on the fact that he should probably be a little less decisive. He did not own this round; in fact, this round owned him bad.

"Blue. I saw blue streaks. Clear in the moonlight, y'know? I also need to get my eyesight checked."

_Sending message to: M—m._

"Right. Mine's _orange_. That was surely some other girl you saw Mimura sucking face with."

Hiroki rolled his eyes and unintentionally saw Takako's phone screen. He sighed when he saw that it was clearly an 'I' in between the two M's. That or he really needed to get his eyesight checked.

**02.**

Far far away, Shuuya Nanahara asked his friend, "So, what's up between you and Takako?"

Said friend named Shinji Mimura looked up at him from his laptop, brief enough to manage a little, "Huh?" before he went back to How I Met Your Mother S03E05, earphones on with Shuuya left to watch the clouds go by.

For truth, justice, and nightmare free slumber…

**TBC**

**A/N: **Oh I know people have left and ignored me, but thank you to** Myahra** for sticking around. And to **imjuzakyd**, even though you don't review because you get a premiere screening.

Still, proper dedications to my BR once-in-a-while friends **jenizaki**, **SkyLilies **and **Hickoryflower**; even if you guys weren't reading, thank you for every support along the way.

(1) is from a show supposedly, but I don't know what exactly.

ALSO. This is important. I didn't plan to update this sooner but out of boredom, I decided to put this up JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE A/N. I needed to ramble because nobody else could understand me but you guys lurking around.

The fact of the matter is that, I just started reading the BR novel and wtf is wrong with me, I keep giggling like a school girl whenever Shinji gets a mention. When he finally came formally to the scene of the game (he and Yutaka) and they were voicing about love; OMG I NEARLY WENT TO BLISS because he mentioned that at his age, he only slept with **three** girls, and I got the impression he did want to know how it was to fall in love. He did say he was _envious_ at Yutaka because he felt that way for Izumi Kanai (it was Fumiyo in the manga though) and you know he was all this--GOD I WISH I COULD JUST FIND THE RIGHT GIRL FOR ME TO FALL FOR LIKE NOW BEFORE I DIE. And he did say he wanted to have a steady girlfriend (albeit he did this a little questioningly to his dead uncle).

And then pages after, he goes on announcing that Takako Chigusa is totally his type.

THERE GOES MY CUE TO DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN AND UPDATE THIS FIC.

I tell you, I tell you, Shinji/Takako is so canon even if it's heavily one-sided. Now we are all left wondering with their potential because both of them died so early. Shinji, man, YOU ARE SO ON THE RIGHT TRACK. *cries*

God, I really love Shinji Mimura. SORRY. Enough of my ramble. Share me some love too. *cries* Review!


	3. Sweet Dreams and A Beautiful Nightmare

**CHAPTER 3**

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako; sequel to The Kinky Music Party

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Shinji Mimura woke up at 6:15:30 am, JST.

He was very much _happy_ to be alive. His dreams were nothing sort of what Shuuya had, and he would most likely voice out Hiroki's what a shame really (had he known).

But why settle for a dream when you can have the real thing?

**01.**

The poor straw was all materially distorted inside Shuuya's mouth. His teeth had been gripping the poor straw ultra hard as he watched and gazed with much concentration at his friend sitting opposite him. His teeth had also other reasons for the induced straw-death; for one, the owner of the teeth's hands was freezing and he was letting it out on the straw. He could not drink properly on the table because it kept on vibrating.

A table, some vibrating and Shinji Mimura (the friend)—oh hell yes, it would be every girl's fantasy. But since Shuuya Nanahara was not a girl, he was definitely not fantasizing; truth be told, it irked him bad because not only was Shinji ignoring him to death, he could also not drink properly because the table kept on _vvviiiibbbbrrrraaaattttiiiinnnnggg_! Goddamnit.

_Bzzzt, bzzzt, bzzz_t, there was it again.

While Shuuya's all-too-concentrated gaze on Shinji had not faltered one bit, the player's concentration on his laptop screen was temporarily disengaged at the vibration of his phone. Shuuya had noted that same behavior for the past hour; his friend would sip his drink, eyes then glued back to his laptop, phone would vibrate; eyes glued away from the laptop—repeat this at a rate of one set per three minutes and a bored Shuuya was eventually produced slash was continuously produced.

"Shuu, I know I'm one to ogle at, but I don't swing that way, so screw it."

The poor straw was more than thankful to be let gone. "Fuck you."

Shinji took the earphones off his ear. He closed the lid of his laptop and put it inside his bag. As he sipped on his drink, he asked, "So why the ogling?"

Shuuya snorted at his friend, and placed his drink back—thank God, his fingers felt like it was dipped in liquid nitrogen—at the table. He eyed Shinji warily, "It's not ogling; it's _staring_. You are sure so full of yourself."

"Doesn't change the fact that your ogling-staring-whatever is disturbing."

At that point, Shuuya's patience thinned. "You know what's disturbing Mimura? The table is vibrating and warm liquid—" he pointed at his drink, "—is spilling over my body!"

People knew about Shuuya Nanahara's optimism but people knew more of him because of his unbelievable loud voice. The way he phrased his last statement was not _exactly_ suggestive, but it was enough to raise a few eyebrows. The fact that he was alone on a café called Lover's Lane with one Shinji Mimura clearly did not help.

"Aww, baby, don't cry—here, let me wipe 'em for you," Shinji said, in between laughter fits.

Shuuya was already throttled down to embarrassment enough for him to tone down his voice. "Fuck it Mim. Let's see that smirk get wiped off your face when Chigusa hears about this!"

Shinji stopped his laughing fit and was about to say something when his phone vibrated once again.

"And you STOP that vibrating!"

"Shuu, for a male you sure are whiny," said Shinji, attention back to his phone.

"But it really _is_ disturbing!"

Shuuya remembered talking to Hiroki about their both failed first attempts on asking Shinji and Takako while his company looked at his phone. Really, it was not like they were gossiping, more like keeping tabs on each other's progress, and they both had concluded to do the interrogation this time, in a gradual manner. It was definitely not wise to bomb out the other's name to the other (Mim to Taka or vice versa) because both of their friends, they would admit, could clearly outwit them and they would be left only to _try again, better luck next time_.

The slip of Takako's name was therefore, not a wise decision. Just like a basketball game, Shinji would definitely predict Shuuya's flow of thoughts. Being the ace player that he was, he could definitely block that weakly defended alley hoop.

On second thought, that could also be taken as an opening in disguise (you know, like a blessing in disguise, or something like that.)

"So—"

"—what's up between—?"

"—I have found another disturbing thought," Shuuya finished with a sharp intake of breath.

Shinji smirked at his friend and leaned back on his chair, twirling his phone in between his fingers. Shuuya had been patting himself at the back for such a nice save; he almost had Shinji at an advantage over him, but _for truth, justice and nightmare free slumber_, he would not let it happen.

"Enlighten me?"

Shuuya gulped, forcing the words out of his mouth, rephrasing them in a way his friend would not be able to recognize it, "This thing that was disturbing me…it is…_between_—"

"—you and Yukie, yes, Shuu, it is disturbing me too."

Oh the holy bells of fuckery. Where the hell did I go wrong? God, is there even another word for 'between'?!

_More importantly, why am I blushing??_

"Oh Mim, you shit," Shuuya responded with a sigh, resignation spread over his four just-stated words.

"I take that as a still-got-no-balls-to-ask-her-out," said Shinji assuredly, his smirk becoming wider at his friend's obvious predicament.

_For truth, justice, and nightmare free slumber, Hiroki, for truth._

_The truth..._

The truth could wait; he was still tingling from the mere mention of Yukie's name. Damn it.

"She's really your type, huh?"

Shuuya crossed his arms. There was no winning with Mimura prodding. But he could try.

"Just like Chigusa is yours."

Shinji only looked at his phone again and Shuuya regarded him with a submissive look. He was there for a mission, that much was true, but with Shinji turning the tables on him—how could he battle it? How would he survive? He was trying to think of ways that could get the conversation back to Takako (if his latest attempt failed) but chances were, he would fail big time, as the vibrating phone kept on saving Shinji's ass.

He was out of his thoughts as Shinji regarded him again, his phone back at the original place on the table together with Shuuya's drink. The basketball star leaned into the table and folded his hands below his chin. Shuuya felt a shiver down his spine; his Takako-mention either worked on his friend or there was something else he wanted to talk about that meant 'serious business'.

"So what do you do when a girl's your type?"

Well, Shuuya figured, if Mimura would give him tips instead of the Takako-mention catching him off guard, then it could just be a _half-loss_ if he came out of Lover's Lane without any answers at all. The truth could wait, _yes, Hiroki, because this could get me a girl_; after all, true friends would rather help each other out rather than gossi—keep tabs on each other's businesses especially when they are not invited to do so.

It was, definitely, a win-loss situation: a Yukie win, and a Takako loss. Oh well, one could never be too happy in this life.

Shuuya was blushing mad like a freaking shoujo _female _lead in front of a hot bishounen—which could probably be just the case for the onlookers. But truth be told, Takako-induced-searching-for-truth aside, Shuuya felt like Shinji was urging him to do what he was supposed to do about the girl he liked, and that was to;

"…ask her out?"

It was almost inaudible, but Shinji caught his answer nonetheless. Shinji fired a gun-finger on him with a wink, a definite sign of approval. However his phone vibrated again, and in a split second, Shinji was back to his original behavioral pattern. Unknowingly to Shinji though, the rockstar wannabe did not miss that odd smile on the player's face.

When he did, Shuuya did not feel like he was in the least ignored again; the sudden realization about Yukie felt close to hitting home, a massive slam dunk. Not technically, for truth, for justice and for nightmare free slumber, but it was something along those lines—a truth, justice, and nightmare free slumber that probably meant something _more_ for him.

That made him a little more confident to throw his friend a joke (an attempt-in-disguise, if you will), perfect, while Shinji's attention was still on his phone.

Shuuya sipped on his drink, a smile of surrender mixed with contentment evident on his face. "You tell me this, but you act like you've asked **her**, acting high and mighty shit."

Shinji chortled and minutes after, they shared a laugh, both wondering what the hell was actually funny. Shinji even managed to slap Shuuya's back as he stood up, walking towards the counter for a little extra.

Shuuya's laughter mellowed down. His friend stood up from his chair. As he did, Shinji's face suddenly turned solemn and creepily undecipherable and Shuuya had to regard him with a questioning look...

"Know what? _I think I just did_."

...but more importantly, he wished he had regarded him an all-out attentive ear and brain combo.

Shinji was gone to the counter when the words obviously started to sink in. When it fully did, he could only say;

"Holy SHIT, WHAT?! WHO?"

They left Lovers Lane and walked towards home; Shuuya still reflecting on Shinji's last words but the player never talked about that again.

**02.**

Far far away, Hiroki Sugimura asked his friend, "So, what's up between you and---?"

"—you and Kayoko? Yes, I've been meaning to ask that to you too, what's up between you and Kayoko?"

The truth could wait, _yes Shuuya, because this could get me a girl_ and also because the warmth on the martial artist's face would not go away.

But God, for how long?

Takako Chigusa then rambled on to him how he should treat a girl, and to stop dithering but just do it.

Oh and to start by _asking her out_.

_For truth, justice, and nightmare free slumber…_

**TBC**

**A/N**: Thank you to **imjuzakyd **(the Sugi/Kayo implied is for YOU), **jenizaki **(extra Shuuya/Yukie for you here), **Myahra **(yes, do send me a review in French if you feel the need to, hee hee) and **SkyLilies **(well, thanks you so much, I DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO YOU) for reviewing. For everyone else who is reading and is lurking, this is your time to shine by sending me a review. A little, "**HAPPY BIRTHDAY IMJUZA****KYD**" will do. *winks*

As usual, apologies for grammar (unbeta'ed yet again because I'm lazy), OOC-ness (for those that would apply) and everything else that needed pardoning.

Just a little sharing, **imjuzakyd** celebrated her birthday yesterday, greet her, greet herrrr (HUZZAH, one year older = one year older for Shinji) and instead of giving her a gift, I FINALLY MADE HER THE SHINJI/TAKAKO CRACK SHIP MANIFESTO.

Of course, for anyone interested to read that (I warn you now, it's CRAZY), you can drop me a review or send me a PM for your mail so that I can send it back. IT WILL NOT BE UPLOADED ONLINE BECAUSE I FEEL TOO EMBARRASSED FOR MY OWN CRAZINESS.

Also, classes will soon be starting for me so I needed to type away the last three chapters for this (which will not be uploaded all on the same time though) because I do not want school to interrupt me in my fangirling. BAHAHAHA.

Much love for everyone, and Peppermint Mocha Frappe in Starbucks is so crazy delicious, just like Shinji Mimura. Review? Cheers!


	4. Fairy Tales are Overrated

**CHAPTER 4**

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako; set after The Kinky Music Party

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Takako Chigusa woke up at 5:43:16 am, JST.

She was very much _happy_ to be alive.

She was very sleepy though, and mind you, fairytales were never her thing. But once and for all, the Almost-Sleeping Beauty hopped into the shower very much feeling giddy for her good morning kiss from the Prince who was waiting for her at the front of her _castle_—

Hot water splashed on her body and she was jolted fully awake.

--_gate_. _House gate_. Also, for the record, she was prettier and sexier than Sleeping Beauty. And prince, _what prince_?

What the fuck, fairytales were so overrated, bitches.

**01.**

Shuuya yawned. Whoever that person was, he clearly hated his life when he invented school. There would be no other explanation.

He rounded the corner towards the locker area and he yawned for the 27th time that morning—

---and then his mouth never closed.

Two figures, standing by the lockers, were caught in a heavy lip lock—the girl's hands were ruffling the boy's hair and the boy's hands were on the girl's waist. Lost in their own world their tongues battled with each other, oblivious to the staring that one Shuuya Nanahara made.

The boy's hand disappeared somewhere inside the girl's blouse and Shuuya felt his world spun 542.34 degrees. The girl let out a moan, egging her boyfriend to continue his exploration that rivaled that of Christopher Columbus' quest in his discovery of America.

Shuuya gulped.

The boy lifted the girl and the girl grunted. Their combined excitement of probably being discovered making out slash _going there_, here at the locker rooms where Shuuya was also currently rendered immobilized, in the early morning of a school day—it made the atmosphere _hot, humid, let's take our clothes_ off that Shuuya forgot how to breathe (he was also still struggling to get out of his initial shock).

Then the bell rang.

Shuuya's eyes popped open at the alarm and he was immediately drawn back to reality. He cursed the cirrus clouds as the realization struck, _oh crazy shrinking balls of cirrus clouds_. Apparently, he had lost sight of _Shinji and Takako_—sighing at the lost opportunity, he unconsciously glanced sideways and saw a familiar hair streaked with_ orange _appearing from behind. She was holding someone's hand, dropping it suddenly as she walked towards her locker; Shuuya's gaze followed her and he sighed again—

_Wait, wait, wasn't that Takako Chigusa?_

Shit, wait, did he just, _JUST_, encounter a paranormal activity? At one moment Takako was getting it hot and heavy (not in a wall though sadly) with Shinji and _then she just passed me by_?

Was that a…_doodlegabber?_ _Toodlegutter?_ _Doorbellgrower_, or something like that?

Oh fuck, what was that called again? _Do, do, dopp, doppel_—

"Boo."

And that was the last straw that propelled Shuuya to grab the title of the latest case of—_Shaken Belly Syndrome? Shrinking Baby Syndrome? Shattered Beefy Syndrome _or something like that.

Oh really fuck, what was that called again?

Shuuya groaned (most likely in fear). He was about to look for the source of the voice when for the second time that morning, he was drawn back to reality with a harsh tap on his head that he assumed to be from an Algebra book.

"Welcome back to Planet Earth, Shuu."

Shuuya craned his neck. _Mim?_

_Wait, WAIT, WAIT what, wasn't that Mim a while ago doing a show too-late-for-the-morning-too-early-for-the-evening with Takako?_

"…Mim?"

Shinji raised an eyebrow and a mocking laughter escaped his lips. "Who are you expecting, Shuu? _Utsumi?_"

A girl's giggle was heard around the corner.

Shuuya hung his head sideways and shrugged, his fear starting to subside. "I think that's too early for a morning joke."

Shinji pinched his cheeks a little hard, definitely noticing the blush that appeared on them. "Just wanted you to be all blooming and pretty for your Math class."

The rockstar shoved his friend's hand away from his red face. "When did you appear? No, scratch that, _how_ did you appear?"

Shinji made a face. "Uhh…by walking?"

"But weren't you just there a while ago, _frolicking _with Takako? I just heard her moan, too," he looked around and spotted Takako, "didn't you just almost _flabbergast_ her ovaries for horseplay?"

A girl's groan was heard around the corner.

"Frolicking? Flabbergast?" Shinji grabbed his friend's head and shook it a little too hard, "…what happened to you Shuu? You are starting to sound _smart_, 'tis creeping me out."

Shuuya shook his head, oblivious to the insult. "Nothin', just watched porn last night."

Obviously, his brains had not started to function yet.

The bell rang again signaling the start of the class. Sakura and boyfriend Kazuhiko passed past Shuuya and Shinji; Takako followed after them. Before the pretty girl walked ahead, she gave the duo of boy idiots a disapproving look.

Shinji chuckled from behind him. "Best of luck Shuu, try jumping or something, looks like your brain needed a twist and turn."

Shinji left towards the opposite direction. Shuuya walked towards his own class, bumping on an opened door; however he acted like he bumped on a stray marshmallow instead as he just continued walking.

Obviously, his brains had not started to function yet. If it did, he would have realized that it was not Shinji and Takako frolicking and flabbergasting ovaries but Sakura and Kazuhiko, and he also did not have a paranormal activity encounter—he was only hallucinating.

If it did, he would also have not missed _whose_ hand Takako was holding when she appeared…and why Shinji was also there.

And lastly, if it did, he would have remembered the words _doppelganger_ and _Shaken Baby Syndrome_.

But yeah, his brains had not started to function yet.

**02. **

Takako almost yelped at the sudden sight of Shuuya cosplaying a zombie beside her. She had no idea how he was able to catch up with her at his state.

She hesitated to tap him to bring him back to his senses when he suddenly spoke.

"What's up between you and Mim?"

Takako barely caught his words. Shuuya almost spoke it in a whisper, his head hung down. The sprinter briefly wondered if he was acting to gain her sympathy—making her answer the question then and there because it had been thrown back and forth between the four of them (her, Shuuya, Hiroki and fucktard) for the past few days.

But how can one answer a question that was somewhat _rhetorical_?

Takako pretended to mishear, again—like what she and Shinji had been doing to poor Hiroki and Shuuya in order to dodge THE question. In truth, it was not like they did not want to answer it (or probably really, they did not want to answer it)—it was just that they both, admittedly, did not know the answer themselves. Or not.

In fact, thinking about that shit of 'what was really up' never failed to give her off-the-Richter-scale-magnitude kind of migraines.

Like the one that she was just starting to have.

Takako thanked the gods she was born smart…and pretty and sexy and _grade-A babe-ish_ but that was totally beside the point.

_Pretension 101 starts now._

"Shuuya."

Before Shuuya raised his head to hear Takako's reply, he had a mental image of himself patting his own broad back for a job well done. _Hiroki, for truth, justice and nightmare free slumber, this charade finally ends now with a bang._

He grinned behind his hair, raised his head and looked at Takako.

When she opened her mouth to answer, Shuuya imagined a heavy drag as if life suddenly decided to play in slow motion—_I'm coming_, he could almost reach THE ANSWER, _comiiiing_ (uhh, this sounds wrong)—

"Not interested."

_Huh? Whatthemotherfuck?_

Let us all clap our hands for Shuuya Nanahara, finally he is now fully awake, he could hear his own medulla oblongata saying.

"…Huh?" asked Shuuya, confused out of his wits.

Takako looked at him with a—apologetic look? Shuuya wanted to rip his hair out and become bald. Why the hell was she looking apologetic?!

The pretty girl batted her eyelashes. "There is nothing between _you and me_, and there never will be."

After hearing what Takako said, Shuuya felt a little sorry for thinking badly of his hair enough to rip it to a thousand split middle and ends. He glared at Takako's ears instead and he could almost swear they glared at him back.

_This girl was a freaking deaf demon that possessed Shinji Mimura, God help him!_

Shuuya heaved a deep breath. He actually felt a little heroic at the thought that he wanted those ears out of Takako's body, because it would spare her (and others including him) a LOT of shitty troubles like the one he was facing now. He was sure his good ol' buddy Shinji would still think this girl was hot albeit psychotic, edible and _fuckable_ despite the absence of ears so in fact, he was just doing everyone else a _huuuuuuge _favor.

He tried to become a little restrained. "You probably misheard me, Chigusa. Do you mean to imply that, God help me, _I LIKE YOU_?"

Takako stopped in her tracks. A hand automatically rested on her hip as she said, "Look, Nanahara, I don't even get where in the fucking universe you got the impression there is something between you and me—"

"—I SAID, BETWEEN YOU AND _MIM_—"

But then the classroom behind them erupted into chorus laughter and so;

"—exactly."

Shuuya wanted to die. Where the hell was the bloody Program when you needed it the most?!

"Let me repeat that, Miss Chigusa Takako. I believe," oh this restrain thing was a fucking tiring act, "that I asked you—did you just imply that I LIKE YOU?!!?!?"

Takako huffed. "Yes. Nanahara, I did hear you. Your voice is louder than a thousand wailing hyenas combined."

"BUT CHIGUSA—"

"Hush, you can stop proving my point and while you're at it, you can also stop _hitting on me_. I'm going now, okay? See you."

Takako started to walk again, but a hand shot from behind her and held her tight.

_Shit, this scenario was looking too achingly familiar…_

"Don't leave me, please."

Passersby started to stop walking.

Takako rolled her eyes. She wondered what Shuuya was playing at but he probably did not intend to say that and appear too dramatic.

" I just turned you down."

Shuuya held on to her still. "Is it me? Or is it you?"

But alas, get a grip folks, Shuuya only pondered if Takako misheard what he said or he suddenly developed dyslexia. Of course all biases aside, and he meant all biases aside, Takako just misheard him, that he believed.

"_You_, of course. My heart is a needle buried in a thousand haystacks, same cold shattering truth as finding Mimura's testicles offered to the gods because he pledged celibacy—

"You mean your heart is a haystack buried in a thousand needles because Mim—"

"—and just in case your brain started to fail, in simpler terms, _you and me_?—"

"—is totally blind after finding it. I mean, fuck whatever they say, but _love_ sure proves to be _blind_—"

"—is impossible. I'm going now, okay? See you."

Takako made an effort to remove her hand from Shuuya's grasp, but the boy just held onto it tighter. He waited until the words sunk inside her head.

"What did you say?"

Bingo.

Takako cleared her throat but Shuuya eventually lost his chance to take advantage of Takako's momentary stun. Unknown to Shuuya though, Takako's brain was wheezing because of what he said and so that was actually a victory—but she showed nothing to indicate it—so it was a _disguised _one.

"For the last time, there is nothing between you and me. Deal with it and get the fuck off me, or your hand gets a free reflexology."

Takako found herself grinning. Shuuya instantly removed his hand. He perfectly knew what she meant with reflexology the Takako Chigusa way. He sighed.

_For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber, let's look forward to the 28th time…_

Shuuya stared at Takako's retreating form, accepting defeat. He wondered when this all would end, his obsession in finding the truth and Shinji and Takako's ways of twisting his obsessions for their entertainment.

But for now, Shuuya wanted to just finish this episode and make the passersby start walking again.

_I mean, Merlin, gossip flies faster than the speed of light and I sure do not want to invoke, whattaword, Mim's wrath…assuming he'd go bloody war on me._

"Yes, yes, there is nothing between you and me, you are not my type," started Shuuya, making Takako stop with her back facing him mimicking a dramatic shot.

Also, a girl sighed in relief somewhere around the corner.

"I mean, you're hot and you're pretty, but yeah you're psychotic. I'm too good for you—maybe in another lifetime?" Shuuya finished with a grin.

Takako faced him, an _apologetic_ look evident on her face. This time it looked sincere; Shuuya felt his hairs stand including his pubic hair (_EEEEEW_, a girl thought somewhere around the corner). Shuuya wondered what the hell she was sorry for though.

But inside, Takako _did_ feel a little apologetic at Shuuya's (and Hiroki's) efforts for truth, justice and nightmare free slumber.

But then, she also wished she knew how to answer it. Really, really. If only she knew too—she kind of had a little idea but—_fuck, migraine_.

Since she was in a good mood (bets were from a good morning kiss), the runner decided to innocently throw him a bone (give the idiots a break, she and Shinji had been manipulating their friends a little too much too). At the look on his face, Takako remembered her puppy. So the bone, she wanted to see Shuuya eat it until he choked.

_Oh well, too much for manipulating their friends…_

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and a few departing words.

"Good…"

Shuuya sprinted to join her again…

"_…your **best friend** wouldn't have liked that_."

…only to stop on his tracks.

Takako had rounded the corner to their classroom when Shuuya came back to planet Earth, for the _third_ time.

"OI!!!! CHIGUSA OIIIIII!!! CHIGUSAAAAAAA!!!"

"Nanahara! No shouting in the corridors!"

Shuuya dodged an eraser flying on his direction and ran towards the classroom—_fucking shit, he was late_!

**TBC**

**A/N: **This chapter is longer than the last which is longer than the last last...and the next is also longer. I don't know why. So school starts tomorrow, and I've written the next chapter after this. Maybe later, I'd start on the next next one.

Thank you SkyLilies, for the feel-good awesometastic reviews and reading the manifesto--I hope you enjoyed! And oh, sad to say, in **Uncle and St. Peter's Early Grey Tea**, I'm beginning to believe Takako **really really** got mad at Shinji. Hmmmm. So no plans after? I guess. But you know them, they'll kiss and make up.

Myahra, thank you for the everlasting support; as for your question regarding my latest one-shot: HAHAHAHA, I don't know if I'd make a sequel to that. Try give me a prompt or an idea, and then maybe I'd make you one--but I'll just send it to you or something hee hee.

To the lovely imjuzakyd, you are the best;

To jenizaki, here's ShuuTaka for you? Kidding!

To lurkers (if there's one), drop me a review too? I'll love you forever!

And since I'm kind of sad that school starts tomorrow, I shall give you a preview for the next chapter that will be posted on: 14th of November (I'm guessing here, I might forget);

_START SPOILER:_

**what's up between you and taka? (now you can't throw this back at me hehe)**

…just like that.

Shinji snickered, feeling a little amused. He wrote his reply.

**what's up between YOU and taka? (funny, looks like I just did)**

_END SPOILER_

See you all on the 14th! Review review, sweet soul review!**  
**


	5. The Hangover

**CHAPTER 5**

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako; set after The Kinky Music Party

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Kayoko Kotohiki woke up at 6: 27: 24 am, JST.

She was very much _happy_ to be alive.

She did not exactly know why but something was telling her—love is in the air.

She felt ticklish at the thought. Or more specifically, on the cockroach on her leg.

Kayoko screamed.

**01.**

**is hiroki with you?**

Shinji looked up to check if Kitano-sensei was engrossed in his discussion enough for the ace player to sneak a reply on the message detention-risk-free—yeah sure, World War II was all sorts of awesome, but that pimple-headed jackfruit face of a teacher was ruining all the fun for one Shinji Mimura.

**ye. why? you missing him already? **

_Let's put a sad face after that. Or this face: :|_

Sending…He liked History fine, but the teacher—he wanted to think the inventor of the C4 had Kitano's face in his wall for inspiration. That must also be the reason why said inventor did not have time long enough to live the prosperity of his genius.

**uh-huh. ask him if a romantic stroll in the park before we head in a love hotel—i mean, home—sounds good? go, do it.**

The player subtly made a face.

**ye, sounds great actually. so where, what hotel babe? i know this place near downtown...oh wait, newsflash, hiroki just asked me to sub. ;)**

Shinji glanced at Hiroki who was obviously bored.

_That makes the two of us…uhm, three, four, five, six, seven…_

**eeww. i think i know that place…red building near ramen house? exciting. thinking about it makes me wanna tie you up the bedpost and rake my hands all over your chest for being so lewd in class…**

_Oh Takako_, Shinji thought, does Hiroki know this side of you? He chuckled and sneaked his fingers back in his pocket to continue reading.

…**you wish. listen, your good friend of a tard just asked me THE question…again. **

Shinji glanced up at Hiroki and saw him scribbling on a little note. His other cool friend named Gut Instinct told him something was bound to happen to him along those lines too.

_G.I. Joe (yeah even my gut instincts got a cool name), lemme guess, and I mean just totally guessing here but Sugi's probably going to ask, "What's up between you and Taka?"_

_Am I right or am I right?_

**cool. what did you tell him? should I piss my pants now once sugi asks me? **

The first time (and last) Shinji casually asked Hiroki about the TRUTH (_oh stop glaring at me, word_, Shinji mused) concerning the martial artist and Takako's dating status, Hiroki just scratched his head and said a bashful **no**.

If Shinji showed a little relief or interest on the affirmation (or the lack thereof) he did not show it.

The second time…well, the second time now had them, or would now have them, in reverse.

**you're such a brat. tell you later. don't be so hard on him. he's not going to kill you…but i will. **

Shinji and Hiroki were, are, in all aspects of the phrase—good friends. Physically, Hiroki, he and Shuuya were the ultimate trio in Class B (Kazuo Kiriyama not considered). Logically or anything that would involve technique, mind or analysis, he and Hiroki were the ultimate duo (Shuuya would tag along sometimes and Kazuo Kiriyama again not considered). Shinji knew they make a good team.

Then, of course, the girls—he and Hiroki would discuss the subject sometimes so of course, given that something was up in Shinji's side, Hiroki would not want to miss it. They were good friends after all.

Especially if it involved Shinji and another good friend, Hiroki with utter conviction would definitely not want to miss it.

If Hiroki casually asked him now (not that he did before), the question 'what's up between you and (insert girl's name here)?' Shinji would have gladly said nothing, nothing at all, and would swear to his uncle's grave that that was the truth if Hiroki in turn would give him the eye.

However, _THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION…_

**you're so cute. i want to lick you right now. also i prefer death by handcuffs or a whip…if you know what I mean, but sure as hell you do. ;) ;) ;)**

When Shinji pressed the Send option and looked up into the board to pretend that he was listening, Hiroki suddenly dropped a folded note on his desk. He was about to look at it when his phone vibrated;

**fuck you.**

Kitano-sensei was giving him a look. He tried harder on his pretension (he had been doing this pretension thing for a week now, for some reason) while his fingers tried to feel the keypad to sneak in the last—as in promise, last!—reply.

**ye, ye, later. i'm stoked. *chu***

Oh, he was sure Takako would no longer reply after that. She specifically hated that kind of reply of his, and he purposely did it to annoy her. Hmm, so now he sure could predict her messaging patterns—needless to say, Shinji was amused. It was nice progression for him (or for both of them, if he could just say).

Hiroki nudged him and Shinji was reminded of the note. He unfolded it.

**oi.**

Trust Hiroki to go over to the hillside, take a few round trips, jump at least five times, skip into the meadows—as just like the point of this paragraph, trust Hiroki to beat around the bush and not go straight to the point.

**oi.**

Shinji handed it back. He was momentarily reminded of the difference between the two childhood friends on approaching things—Takako's direct way ("I don't want to hug you, you stink" one time she told him after his basketball practice) in contrast to Hiroki's…_oi._

**why aren't you listening?**

Shinji looked at Hiroki incredulously.

**why aren't you listening?**

When Hiroki received the paper, he was not in the least amused, but he figured he could play Shinji's version of a game. In defense to Shinji, he did not have anything in his mind or some sort of a battle plan. The only thing that he was sure of was that to never give something away. Hiroki could try fishing out information though.

As a result their mini pass notes looked like this for a three minute exchange;

**fuck off**

**fuck off**

**are you bored?**

**are you bored?**

By the expression on Hiroki's face, Shinji thought he probably pushed his friend too far. But he was only doing his duty. He won't give his friend the opportunity for an opening to ask THE question—he needed to gather his balls and ask him directly…

**what's up between you and taka? (now you can't throw this back at me hehe)**

…just like that.

Shinji snickered, feeling a little amused. He wrote his reply.

**what's up between YOU and taka? (funny, looks like I just did)**

When the little innocent paper reached the martial artist's hand after that, it died a sudden death. Hiroki looked at Shinji and both of them were not smiling nor were they looking amused. Shinji intended the question complete with undertones of a past-present-something-else-that-was-neither-here-nor-there and Hiroki understood it perfectly well.

They were good friends, after all.

After a full minute of listening (really, Shinji found out who Japan allied with…oh wait, he knew that already), Hiroki passed a new note to Shinji.

**how about we talk this later?**

Upon reading the message, Shinji fished out his phone to send a message to Takako, reporting the failures or successes of his duty and also, that he was utterly disappointed that he would not be tied to a bedpost.

But Shinji did leave out one bit. Somehow, he felt like Hiroki and him talking were more than just a little game of question and answer.

**how about we talk this later.**

The period said it all.

**02. **

In their defense, both of them didn't know that their argument on how the talk would proceed (a basketball match, on Lovers Lane, a stroll in the park came up as suggestions) would end up like this.

"I want to be the very best…"

"Like no one ever was!"

Hiroki and Shinji erupted into laughter as they did their own rendition of the Pokemon song.

The alcohol was getting into their systems and both of them were already tipsy after spending a good hour on a whole amount beer and nonsense talk. Shinji, though already disoriented, had a little bit more of a tolerance than Hiroki and he wondered how their 'discussion' would proceed in this state.

To prove his disorientation, Mitsuko passed them by and Shinji felt his left and right brain started arguing if it was really Takako or Mitsuko who was the prettiest.

_I mean, did you just see her wink at me? I mean you and me?_

_Shut up! She's not the one you're…you're…whatever it is the hell that you and Takako are! I mean, we._

_So are you saying that the wink was for Hiroki here?_

_Well, they make quite a good pair physically…he can twirl her around and she'd like it rough…_

_Why are you so lewd?_

_HELLO, WE ARE SHINJI MIMURA DUMBASS._

"Ah, fuck," Shinji groaned as he felt his own head spin…not from the alcohol.

"Okay, okay, before, before, we get all smashed, smashed and puke-y, here here," started Hiroki, his words slurring.

"Must you repeat repeat the words the words that you that you said said?"

"Oh I was not! Shut up Mim, I was not, shut up Mim."

The player did not know exactly why, but he felt a little sorry for Hiroki—not only was he guilty (just a little though, it was not like what he and Takako were having/were doing was bad!), he was also stalling and playing around. He was also getting him wasted.

Too much for don't be so hard on him and being good friends.

Shinji gathered all his remaining sensibility to get down into the core of this unplanned beer belly fattening before Hiroki would pass out, or before he would, whoever came first. He shook his friend.

"Sugi, focus," he snapped his fingers at Hiroki. The look on Hiroki's almost-smashed face rendered Shinji at a loss for words.

_Fuck, why do they need to ask THAT anyway!_

"Yeah, yeah, what what Mim?"

Shinji sighed and he pretended that he was still a living bundle of energy. "Let's play the pronoun game! Whopee! Aren't you excited?!"

Hiroki only raised an eyebrow at him, "What the hell?? I sucks at English, I sucks, you saw."

The player chuckled. "Yeah, looks like it. But this one's easy as pie."

Shinji knew deep inside he was not making sense at all but he could try.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever whatever."

Shinji started, "So you wanna know what's up between me and Taka, huh?"

Hiroki stared at him. He briefly thought, is this his version of a pronoun game?

"Yeah? Yeah."

The Third Man moved his seat closer to Hiroki to explain the game. "All you need to do is to repeat after me, but you have to change the pronouns," Shinji hiccupped, "like you make the, I you and the you I."

"FUCK."

Shinji chuckled at Hiroki's cursing most likely for the lack of understanding the game's mechanics (and the alcohol).

"C'mon, give it a try," the player prodded.

Hiroki waited.

"You like Takako."

Hiroki thought for a minute and blurted, "I like Takako? I like Takako?"

Shinji chuckled but something in his intestines twisted. Something called guilt.

"Presto! Good! One more, uhh," Shinji paused, "—you like her more than a friend."

"I like her more than a friend," Hiroki stated with confidence, "I like her more than a friend, that good enough, good enough?"

Shinji was about to nod or clap Hiroki on his back when suddenly he felt a fist connect on his jaw.

"Fuck Mim fuck Mim, whatdyado?? How'd you you turn psychic reading reading my thoughts and and shit?"

Shinji felt his intestines burst. He kept silent. He wondered if the pain was due to the contact of Hiroki's fist, or the alcohol or the…ovary flabbergasting.

Fuck, I don't have ovaries! SHUUYA!

He meant his intestines, by the way.

"I like like this game game."

Hiroki only looked at him expectantly despite half-bloodshot eyes.

Shinji nodded. He wished he could do something but he only had a little ray of light that Hiroki, due to passing out, would forget this discussion tomorrow—Shinji was sure as hell he wanted to.

"So, uhh, the answer," Shinji started again.

"Yeah yeah, what's up between you and Taka, what's up between you and…"

Shinji cleared his throat. The game has started. "…You like Takako, but you got no balls to ask her out."

Hiroki clapped like a child, "I like Takako, but I got no balls to ask her out…uh Mim, uh Mim?"

The player looked at his friend anxiously. "Eh?"

"I only change the you's and the I's right…I only change…no her to him no, him to her no?"

The Third Man felt a little smirk curve its way on his lips.

"No. You're doing good," said the smirking man…a little sadly. God and uncle help him.

Shinji cleared his throat again, "So I…did something that you didn't."

"So you…so you, did something, that I didn't, that I did not do."

Shinji ruffled Hiroki's already disheveled hair like an older brother would.

"…I like her," Shinji paused, "…just like you."

Hiroki hiccupped, "You like, like…like her. Just like I. Just like I…"

The alcohol was already finding its way to fully overtake Shinji's senses. He fought against it. "She probably likes me too…?"

"She probably---"

Shinji corrected himself, "She probably like I…_I_…too. She kinda told m…I…"

"She probably likes you too, she probably…she kinda told you, she kinda told…"

Now that his head felt like it had the weight of Sho Tsukioka on a stegosaurus combined, Shinji supported his aching head with his hands on the table, his fingers raking on his hair.

"So we're sort of…you know…_like that_."

Hiroki did not reply. He heard something big which fell on their table. He assumed it was Shinji's head.

"So you're sort of like…yeah, I know…like that….

I know now, yes I understand now."

Hiroki felt a little smug on the fact that Shinji and his good of a best friend Takako were not the only ones Oscar-material pretenders to get out of this mini battle royale alive. He did a good job tonight—he was tipsy, he felt smashed, but judging the look on his good of a friend's state, he outlasted him.

Hiroki downed the remains of his last bottle of beer at the feeling of finally knowing—but he only had a little ray of light that he would soon probably forget; Hiroki sure as hell he wanted to.

"Fuck you Mim."

Hiroki clapped his friend's back to sort of congratulate him—he said the words all in good nature, no amounts of bitterness at all, happy for his two good friends but sad for himself (a little bit) but he could deal with that later—that was how good friends would do it anyway.

He heard something like, "uckngee," from the passed-out man (or maybe he was barely conscious).

He was still probably playing their pronoun game.

He wondered how they'd go home in this state—he did not know how to drive, their houses were not in the least bit near to each other, his friend was heavy—until Shinji's phone on the table rang.

_Takako calling…_

In truth, he would not have answered it. He was not sure if he was ready to face her yet. _Oh fuck, there goes my sorting of feelings later shit._

But it was not like he had a choice.

He picked it up. When he heard her voice calling Shinji's name, he full well understood what had changed among the three of them and he thanked the alcohol for saving his ass when she asked why his words sounded slurry.

**TBC**

**A/N: **As promised (and even a little earlier).

It's actually a good thing I've written little bits for the last two chapters of this story because I'm finding it so hard to get the inspiration to write again now that school has started. Thesis is taking up my life, and a new fandom has also taken over (OMG I LOVE KYOUHEI TAKANO)

Anyway, the usual apologies for un-beta-laziness, grammar problems and possible OOC-ness.

Thank you THANK YOU Thank you **Myahra**, **SkyLilies** and the lovely **imjuzakyd**, as always, for reading and reviewing.

And to everyone who's lurking, pressing the little button down there doesn't hurt! Oh come on, it's almost Christmas time! Share the love!


	6. Yuck, Yummy, Yahoo

**CHAPTER 6**

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako; set after The Kinky Music Party

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Yukie Utsumi woke up at 6: 28: 34 am, JST.

She was very much happy to be alive.

Actually, she did not sleep at wink.

So how could someone wake up without falling asleep in the first place?!

Damn that stupid Algebra homework…and too much Shuuya daydreaming or more properly, night dreaming.

Since actually, that was last night that crossed over the morning so should it be dawn dreaming, or mornight dreaming…agh, whatever!

**01.**

When pretty girl Takako Chigusa entered the classroom that lunch, she noticed that her two favorite boys were both slumped down their armrests.

She knew both of them were wasted that night before although as it stood, she still did not know why. She tried asking Hiroki when they walked together to school that morning, but Hiroki was still out of it that she even ended up carrying his bag for him.

Earlier that morning, she had called Shinji to ask—well, a lot of things—but first, if he'd make it to school today. He answered, but there was no voice on his line for a good few seconds. She then heard something like;

_"Hmm, Taka, shit, that was soooooooooo good, you sexy thing…"_

Remembering about it made her frown. She did not know if Shinji was screwing her mind so early that morning or he was really—well, having her star in his latest installment of magnificent wet dreams. She called him again to check.

And then we would just leave it at that.

Somehow, the phone calls made her think of…stuff. Stuff to sort out between them exactly—what they are, where will they go from here—shit, she really was growing up. And you know what people say about growing up?

Finding a man to love, hurting…oh God. She inwardly face palmed. She knew deep down inside that she could not shake off the truth (she knew that they both knew the answers very well anyway) but NOT thinking about it made the matter less blush-inducing and it actually made her forget about her early experience on specific phone calls that day.

Well, too late for that. She began indulging again on the reality of the early phone calls—for one, she did not know she was really that kind of man (well men were born perverts, at least most anyway). She had an idea that he was, but hearing her name and him saying it—in that context—she only blushed hard at the thought.

It was not like she did not like that too—well, she could take that as a sign that he really was _into_ her that she _penetrated_ even his dreams. But maybe "penetrated" was not the right word.

Well, inwardly, she was really saying YUCK…

YUMMY…

YAHOO!!!

Insert fireworks and confetti here.

But that was just inside her head, and therefore as abstract as the concept of love in itself.

She shook her head a little and decided to go to Hiroki's slumped form. She nudged him and he looked up, took the sandwich on her hand and got down on his chair again. Takako asked casually about his headache, but he did not budge.

She wondered though how Hiroki could still hold the ham and egg sandwich pretty much intact while dozing off.

She went to Shinji's chair and sat down on the floor beside him. He was awake; when she was about to ask him how was his own version of a migraine, he looked up at her, got hold of her drink, sipped it to the core, and kissed her forehead before he went back to his own version of dozing off.

Takako felt highly pissed herself after being used and ignored like that, but then, as he looked back at Hiroki and then at Shinji, ruffling the latter's hair in the process in affection, she sighed and told herself to wait. She could prod them later…and get back to them while she was at it.

After all, they were her two favorite boys.

**02.**

Shuuya was half-dragging Hiroki to the locker rooms when he abruptly stopped because he heard voices. In all fairness to him, he dragged Hiroki in there to accompany him, had any so-called paranormal activities occur to him once more. He looked at his friend's fallen form, and only figured then that he was stupid enough to choose Hiroki of all people.

The voices in the locker room—he should be having some sort of déjà vu—but alas, he was not, because he recognized them. He slid to the floor silently, tagging Hiroki along and helping him lean his aching head at a budge on the wall. Shuuya took in stealth and looked to see the owner of the voices.

It was Shinji with Takako. He was really not hallucinating this time.

"How was your head?" Takako asked. She was putting her books in her locker. Shinji was leaning his weight on the lockers, looking at her, his back to where Shuuya (and Hiroki) at.

"Kills. Kiss me better hun?" He said, sounding a little bit seducing for Shuuya who then faked puking.

He did not know that he needed to be careful though, because Hiroki was watching him and the martial artist was still hung over. He could puke in there any moment and gloriously break their cover.

Meanwhile, Shuuya heard a slight wince from the other end of the room.

As it were, Takako had dodged Shinji's attempt for affection by blocking his face with her locker door. She hit his head unfortunately, and with unattempted force that resulted to a small cut on his forehead.

"It bled."

Shinji looked at her curiously. "What is?"

"Your head, it bled," Takako said nonchalantly as if she was just addressing the condition of the weather, "I'm sorry."

Shinji smirked despite the first sign of slight wince that he felt, "So maybe now it's valid to kiss it better?"

Takako only looked at him and smiled, a little bit slyly. Her hand reached for his temple, "Bend over."

Shuuya, in the meantime, was listening and watching them like it was Aishteruze Baby anime all over again. And yes, he did watch that. He found Yuzuyu cute.

Shinji moved closer to Takako saying, "I've got a better idea."

And with that, he took her off her feet, holding her afloat, so that her lips were at a hundred eighty degree angle with the cut on his forehead.

With her best straight face on, Takako rolled her eyes, "I'm impressed with your definition of better," sarcasm dripping in between the words.

"Hmm?"

"Your face is totally smashing my boobs."

Indeed it was, and in reference to her early phone call experience, she blushed (what the fuck is wrong with me?!) beet red as she felt Shinji's smile form painstakingly slow across the creases of her uniform blouse.

He shifted her in his arms and looked at her, "Don't say things like that. You don't know what I'd do…"

His eyes were twinkling with malice so much she could not miss it. Despite that smirk on his lips, she knew he was dead serious and she thought twice, thrice, even four times or five on whether she'd continue her provoking (much to Shuuya's happiness since he was feeling giddy on his corner) or delay both of their impending gratification.

She kissed his forehead lingeringly and very hesitatingly decided on the latter.

But damn boy it was so hard not to rip his clothes off and make Shuuya's hallucinations come true especially when he felt Little Shinji's presence for the first time in her life; _yuck…yummy…yahoo!!!_

But oh well.

She decided to shred the thoughts off, "You can put me down now or you get to taste my definition of better."

Shinji raised an eyebrow at her and Takako, as a reply, lightly tapped her foot inward, jolting another head in between the player's legs, into promising arousal...

...of foreboding pain.

Reluctantly, he dropped her down.

But as he did so, Takako caught sight of a sleeve by the lockers' door that she grabbed Shinji's attention to her immediately once she was back standing on the floor.

She made a few gestures and Shinji knew what she meant.

"Oh you mean, you want us to really get it hot and heavy here? Right now?" Shinji said, continuing the supposed conversation.

Takako rolled her eyes and nodded, not in agreement, but as if to say, carry on.

"Well, the thrill of getting caught…" Takako said, effectively slurring her voice.

Shinji mouthed, MY PANTS ARE GOING TO BURST, but Takako only smirked at his struggle to keep on acting versus his over internalizing of his role.

"So..."

"…So? Let's…?"

Actually, Shinji and Takako were just standing by the lockers. Both were spouting suggestive words all the while looking at Shuuya's version of push-ups-while-sitting, obviously from feeling giddy, giggly, and light-headed—like when you read a romance novel or something of that sort. You thought Aishteruze Baby was the worst thing he had done as a boy? Better think again.

Shuuya could only scoot closer to Hiroki in fear and in shock because he was so so so utterly convinced that Shinji Mimura, ace player of Shiroiwa, and Takako Chigusa, grade-A hot student babe were actually having hot and heavy sex in the locker rooms at the late afternoon of one April day at 4: 34: 08 pm. JST!

Much worse, he felt as if the sounds of their _"Oh Shinji, harder"_ and _"Fuck, Takako"_ were coming closer at his hearing range; in a few seconds, he felt as if they were doing it beside him!

And then the voices stopped.

His eyes were unconsciously closed the whole time, to preserve his innocence definitely, that when he opened them he saw three pairs of eyes fixated on him accusingly.

Shinji, Takako and Hiroki even (was that a threesome? Was Hiroki participating too…?) were looking at him in disgust—but then they failed at throwing him their best poker faces and laughed at the registered shock evident on Shuuya's face.

"Fuck you, Mim!!!"

Shinji was almost rolling in laughter and Takako, although more restrained, was joining him in his mirth. Hiroki was stopping himself.

Well if his embarrassment did them (Hiroki and him) anything (Shuuya didn't know Hiroki already found out the truth yesterday in exchange of a brutal alcohol hangover), it was that he already found out the truth about his friends…

But the sex part—they were just faking that, wasn't' it?

So…? **Wait…**

_"Uhm, what is really up between the two of you?!"_

There was total silence that followed and Hiroki fell down promptly on the floor—his last thought was the competition between the density of his alcohol-pounded head, or Shuuya's normal one (although how would that be possible, if it only contained nothing but vacuum…or even lighter).

**THE END?**

**A/N: **SORRY I UPDATED THIS WAY TOO LATE OKAY. Forgive me for everything that needs to be pardoned: grammar, OOC-ness and what not. Dedicated to Myahra, since she was so sweet she actually cheered me to write! Well, ain't you lucky dear? XD

But, I hope you're not all gone? Do let me know? Read, review, sweet soul revue?

Pretty please as a Christmas holidays gift?

Also, Aishteruze Baby's Kippei and Kokoro do remind me of Shinji and Takako. GO READ IT!


	7. This is Preposterous

**CHAPTER 7**

**Title**: Something Rhetorical

**Summary**: For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber. AU Shinji/Takako; set after The Kinky Music Party

**Genre**: Humor/General

**Rating**: T (for language)

**00.**

Shogo Kawada woke up at 3: 40: 21 am, JST.

He was very much_ happy_ to be alive.

He thought of Keiko, and her serene smile, her pretty face, that birdcall he gave her and—

Actually he just slept again because that had no connection to the story whatsoever.

**01.**

"Tell me exactly what you feel."

Shuuya felt the clogging of his nose at the words. He had been telling this person for the past few hours what he was feeling and had actually hello, clogged his nose in the process—blame it on the damn cooler, he was so not crying (or weeping, or wailing for that matter)—and yet that was the only thing this person managed to say to him.

He had no idea whatsoever—of course he was that dense, of course—that the person was just experiencing some major technical difficulty in her brain and the fact that Shuuya Nanahara, Shiroiwa Junior High's hot (pet) dog was _counseling_ was just not registering in her brain.

Shuuya, very _unladylike_, got a ply from the frivolous pink box called the tissue box. Somehow, the scenario was not exactly contradicting the former statement.

"He was my friend. We've been friends for years! And then here comes a bitch named Takako Chigusa who keeps on screwing with him AND me AND our friendship!! Our friendship is invincible, it's made of stone, of steel, of everything sturdy and strong in this goddamned universe and yet—"

"—Nanahara, I don't really see the problem in here. You are not Mimura's mother—"

"BUT I AM HIS BEST FRIEND!!!"

The words stung into the air that the guidance counselor pursed her lips in the process. She did not know exactly whether to feel pity or to laugh or to be annoyed. She leaned back in her chair.

She tried forming neutral sentences in her mind to calm the pitiful (okay, so she settled for pitiful) boy despite her assessment of the matter—she found nothing really wrong about the issue of Shinji Mimura and Takako Chigusa screwing each other except that it was against school rules, if it were about physical screwing.

But that was the least of the problems (there were problems in the first place?!) to solve in here. Desperation bordered the sound of Shuuya's voice that the words best friend somewhat registered in her brain dictionary as something synonymous to the word—hmm, _God_.

Oh at least it was back registering and that was one problem solved.

Shuuya's chest was pounding very hard at the intensity of his declaration (trust Shuuya to over over exaggerate, really). His eyebrows were twitching and the hairs of his nose were blowing in all directions.

_What was so hard to understand on that anyway?! I AM THE BEST FRIEND, and the world should pass through me first before they get to MIM!!! MIM…why…_

"First, the walls of this office is not soundproof, and we do not want the principal barging on here and asking me why you are wailing—"

"—like a thousand hyenas combined?? Hey, I heard this before—but I am not WAILING, I AM NOT!!!—"

"Hush, Nanahara or you will get detention."

That silenced him. There was no way he would get detention, especially if he finally asked Yukie Utsumi on a date that afternoon. At the thought he blushed—and the counselor concluded that the instability of Nanahara Shuuya and his emotions were far worse than a pregnant woman on her first semester.

Shuuya came back to his seat.

"What Mimura needs from you is support, not protection. He's a big guy now. He can make important decisions for himself, and that includes finding a girl. Do you doubt his ability to choose, is that what you're worrying for?"

He could no longer stop himself, "This is Takako Chigusa we are talking about, sensei. I don't know what planet are you living in but that girl is fucking insane—so insane and evil that Satan feared her himself."

"Do you even know her that personally to deem that true?"

"No, but Satan just messaged me about it last night," Shuuya fished out his phone, "oh look, here's another text—he says I need to buy him ointment because he burned himself when Takako passed his place."

"Don't go smartass on me, Nanahara, I'm not the one to play with your jokes."

"And you are not the one to play on my emotions either, sensei."

Shuuya Nanahara dismissed himself. He never dismissed himself—that was Mimura's job. But his emotions had been clouding him as of late that no other laws created in this school or in this place or in this planet could make him stop from walking away.

_WHY CAN'T PEOPLE TAKE ME SERIOUSLYYYY?!?!?! …. Oh, I tripped to something soft. Is this…boobs?! YUCKKKK…I mean, oh NICE…_

"Watch it."

And that voice sounded very achingly familiar. Shuuya leaped off from the soft thingies and came face to face to an equally annoyed Takako Chigusa, dusting her skirt and recovering from their very nasty fall.

"You know, you have some guts."

He took a step back at the crispness of her voice. Maybe this was the best opportunity to make his point across to that stupid counselor?

"Mimura had _not yet_ smashed his face to my boobs and yet you—"

Shuuya then forgot his fear and scoffed, "Yeah right, locker room, two days ago, 4 pm sounds familiar?"

Takako grinned, "So you were spying."

The rockstar wannabe almost smacked himself at his blip. Well sure, he was caught. It was not like he was spying in the first place—they even played an interesting voice-over just for him—but well, spying sounded really creepy.

Only fangirls did that, and he was neither a fan nor a girl but of course that still remained to be verified.

"Does it matter? You two caught me!!! You even played an act you knew I was so going to loooooooove!" Shuuya retorted, sarcasm reeking all over the place.

One hand rested automatically on Takako's hip, "Did that really bother you?"

Shuuya crossed his arms on his chest, "Where's your…_boyfriend?_"

His lips shuddered at the word.

The sprinter raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you his mother? Hi _Mom_!"

Shuuya paused for three seconds and sighed. This girl could really be annoying when she wanted to be. "Yes, Chigusa I am really that bothered. No, I am not his mother so don't say hi to me. Even if I am, I would not accept you for a daughter!"

"Well then I am just as glad you're just his_ friend_."

And that really struck him. He sure was whiny today.

"I am the BEST FRIEND!!! I AM THE BEST FRIEND!!! DO YOU HEAR ME??—"

"Hello Shinji? Yes, I'm with him now—"

"MIMURA DON'T INTERRUPT MY CONVERSATIONS OKAY!!!"

He snapped her phone shut in front of her face and Takako, for the first time in her life, looked at him like he was a normal human being with emotions and feelings. Well, thank God for that could be a good start.

"No other girl, no other girl has made me worry before! Until you came! You know how grade-A girls shatter the whole bros before hoes thing?! IT IS HAPPENING NOW, IT IS and before I KNOW IT, MIMURA'S GOING TO BE ALL PUSSY ON YOU and I WILL BE LONELY! LONELY!!!—"

"Can you calm the fuck down Nanahara?"

That was the second time he was silenced today. Somehow, as much as he wanted to dismiss himself this time around, with much much wanting, he probably could not.

"What do you think is happening between me and Mimura, Shuuya?"

To say that the question caught him by surprise was an understatement. Sure, the question had been backfired to him in all sorts of manner possible in the past—but there was never a direct confrontation about it between the four of them.

Especially a confrontation that had the questioned asking the question back to the questioner.

Shuuya cleared his throat, "Uh, you're dating?"

Takako remained expressionless.

"You're a couple?"

Takako remained expressionless.

"You're…engaged?"

Copy paste did have its advantages.

"You're…married?!!?"

Paste—Takako remained expressionless.

"You're--?"

Takako flashed him a real smile, "I'm actually pregnant with his child. Godfather sounds good to you?"

With the strike of horror on Shuuya's face (Takako was beyond amused that someone could be this gullible), she bit her lip and inwardly sighed. When tears almost formed in his eyes, she spoke to him more seriously this time.

"Look, Nanahara, call it whatever you want to call it—but it's just something of worth that would make me stand the idea of getting along with you…"

Shuuya remained expressionless. (And that was Find and Replace for you.)

"…now cue lightning, please."

In his mind, Shuuya knew that despite her choosing death over them being friends, she was actually being sincere. He pondered at how the progression of this rhetorical obsession had been—how he (and probably Hiroki) had always dodged the little things between Shinji and Takako—the subtle gazes, the secret holds, the exchanged words.

He figured that Mim, his best friend, could do that to any girl anyway—romance her, kiss her, do all sorts of lewd things in all places and moments—that was why he never really believed. Even at the mere sight of them at the locker room two days ago, all hallucinations aside—well, they played him an act!

But Takako in her own little, not to mention insulting, abusive, verbally violent way actually asked for his _friendship_.

So that, whatever they shared, must have really meant something for the two of them enough to make the impossible a little possible.

This was like what they say on weddings and all sorts of wedding souvenirs, _thank you for sharing this moment with us_ crap; and he figured that blue would be a nice motif for them, or maybe gold, or orange to reflect her hair…but he digressed.

That was also why no one really took him seriously.

His silence kind of unnerved Takako that she almost wanted to take back what she said. Confessing (she wished there was a better word) to Shinji was never this hard. All she had to do was kiss him back and we would be left at that.

Of course she could not do the same to Shuuya. More specifically, she WOULD not.

She almost took it back when the boy optimism answered, almost inaudibly, "…that sounds nice."

Takako felt relieved (but she would not let him have that satisfaction), "Yes, it does so much that it merits you a happy pretty sandwich. Toast to our budding friendship, that is."

_Well, girl could get creative_; Shuuya mused and accepted the gift. It was certainly a pair of toasted bread and an ugly looking one at that. He was sure he could place the tomato, the lettuces and the cabbage more beautiful than she could ever try.

Takako would never ever change. Just when you thought she was being nice, well you better think again.

Too much for a toast to friendship, but plus points for the effort, alright—and for that Shuuya Nanahara was at the very least, glad.

**02.**

"What did you do to him?"

Slurping sounds in the background and a flip of a page was heard. "Him who?"

"Shuu?"

More slurping sounds. "What, is he dead?"

A snort. "Takako. No, he's not dead."

"Then that means I did nothing to him."

Shinji stood up from his seat that was opposite Takako's. He went to her side and showed her the basis of his question. She moved closer to him when he got comfortable and the first thing that registered to him was her smell—_ah fuck, maybe we could rest Shuu's issue for a while…_

But then her eyes were concentrated on the screen of his laptop that read;

_Dear Mim,_

_You know how much I called you insane for actually liking someone like Chigusa? Well, I think I really nailed that._

_She's beyond fucking insane Mim, she actually asked me to be her friend. I mean, what the fuck?_

_She must really love you beyond comprehension, huh, to ask something as preposterous as that? And you two are seriously crazy. I don't know how you put with each other, but I guess you suit each other fine._

_You should just know that when things get bloody, you have my back. My arms, my body, my heart, my mind, my soul, my life and everything else of me. You have all my support and blessings._

_Not that it mattered but whatever._

_Your good ol' buddy,_

_Shuu_

P.S. She kind of told me you had never touched/ nor smashed your face to her boobs. You haven't yet, really? Because you know, you'd kill me for this but it's soft. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. I DID NOT LIKE IT OKAY.

Of course, normally that offhand postscript comment would send Shinji Mimura to a rage. But what conclusion could be derived from his reaction of non-rage?

Choices were;

a) He already had.

b) He already had and he was friends with Shuuya;

c) He already had and that was not an accident either;

d) All of the above.

This question was rendered right minus wrong.

On the other hand, Takako was busy clicking the options of replying to Shuuya's heartfelt mail. She typed a few words and clicked _Send_. Among all the other moments that Shinji was proud to be hers, this moment and what she had done automatically topped that list.

_"It matters Shuu, thanks buddy."_

They both settled into a comfortable silence wrapped in each other's warmth without actually hugging or cuddling or whatever, sometimes what really mattered to them was that they were together.

Together with the smell of pizzas, the hiss of their drinks, the people chatting, and oh even the Wifi—because that was how they normally spent their little afternoons that had been going on for a while now.

Most of the time senseless banter coming from senseless questions like this one would occur;

"Do you think he used thesaurus?"

"Well, _preposterous_ was probably hard even to just spell for him."

After all that has been said and done, they were happy…

_For truth, justice and nightmare free slumber…_

…and still kicking everyone's asses while they were at it.

**It Really Is THE END.**

**A/N: **Oh my goodness, I finished this story! My elation is off the charts right now!

To my ever faithful readers;

**imjuzakyd**, of course especially for you;

**Myahra**, for sending that little letter that you were waiting, you are so sweet, I hope I did it justice and worth the wait;

**SkyLilies**, for the endless support and love for all things Mim and Taka;

**Jenizaki**, for the LOLS, the inspiration and the conversion of all things Mim and Taka (BR WTF UPDATE PLZ KTHXBYE)

And for all the lurkers, **THANK YOU.**

Pardon all that needs pardoning (OOC-ness, grammar because un-beta'ed), you guys know the drill, and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Shameless plugging on my part: GO read _Count to Ten_ GO GO GO!

And since this is the last time, (for now) do give me your review, rants and ramblings. Much love for everyone and Mim and Taka is CANON, believe it!!! LAWL.


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